Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Ed ("Too Tall") Freeman of Boise died Wednesday

Idaho Statesman ^ | 8/20/2008 | Katy Moeller

[Domandred]

Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Ed Freeman of Boise died Wednesday morning, according to a friend of the Freeman family. He was 80 years old.

-- SNIP --

As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged infantry battalion at Landing Zone X-Ray in the la Drang Valley.

[mware]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WDrbbtaO0E

[NonValueAdded]

Mansions of the Lord mp3.


"The Mansions of the Lord"
Words by Randall Wallace

To fallen soldiers let us sing
where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
to the mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
just divine embrace, eternal light
in the mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard tho the angels sleep
All through the ages safely keep the mansions of the Lord

[NonValueAdded]

From the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young" ... p 108

"Captain Ed Freeman, thirty-six, fought on Pork Chop Hill in Korea as an enlisted man and won a battlefield commission there. At six feet six inches, Freeman was four inches taller than the maximum height limit for Army pilots at the time he went to flight school, hence his nickname: 'Too Tall to Fly.' Crandall and Freeman had been a close team for years, sharing flying duties over some of the world's toughest terrain. Together they had flown the Arctic, the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa, and the jungles of Central and South America on mapping missions for the Army. The only thing the two of them were ever known to argue about was which of them was the second-best helicopter pilot in the world. Pop Jekel describes the Too Tall Ed of that era as 'a good old shit-kicker whose poker winnings could pay off half the national debt.'"

...p 109

"We started receiving heavy fire on our approach [into the emergency LZ]. I [Crandall] notified Big Ed and he calmly came back with: 'Roger. What do you want me to do about it, Snake? I kind of thought this might happen.'"

[Retain Mike]

Thanks for posting the citation also. The newspaper article was way too short, but what do you expect from the media. Not that I was much better. I just about passed on reading the post, like it would take too much time out of my retired person busy day. I almost forgot that I need to honor these people by at least paying attention for a few moments.

I think his bravery is specially note worthy, because at 38 you are supposed to understand that you are probably going to get killed doing this sort of stuff.

[Feckless]

Pity the wretches of humanity who think their freedom has no cost, they will forever remain in the shadow of better men who paid its price.

Sadly, we have lost another of those better men. Hooo AH, Sir! Rest in Peace.

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP Capt Ed "Too Tall" Freeman
Medal of Honor Recipient

Sgt MacKenzie

[Billthedrill]

Fly? He had to fly. Probably had trouble walking. ;-)

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

NEVER FORGET

.

ED ..’TOO TALL’.. FREEMAN =

.

‘WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG’

http://www.lzxray.com

.

‘WE ARE SOLDIERS STILL: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam’

http://www.WeAreSoldiersStill.com
(Book released yesterday..!)

.

NEVER FORGET

.

[alfa6]

Sad Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

..ED ..’TOO TALL’.. FREEMAN = MEDAL OF HONOR..

..& Battle of IA DRANG-1965 Huey Helicopter Wingman to:

..BRUCE CRANDALL = MEDAL OF HONOR..

http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48215

.

..”NEVER, ever, leave your Wingman”...

PERSONIFIED.

.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

NEVER FORGET

.

CLARITY =

MEL’s -PASSION- sparked by -WE WERE SOLDIERS-

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085111/posts

.

NEVER FORGET

.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Prayers Up...

GOD Bless...

Welcome Home...

[ALOHA RONNIE]

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http://www.Freerepublic.com/~aloharonnie/

http://www.Freerepublic.com/~anita1/

.

[barker]

[eyedigress]

Thank you for posting his Citation. God Bless You Captain Ed Freeman.

[alsotall]

I am not big on posting comments on the internet but I wanted to send out a warm thanks from our family. We truly appreciate all of the love and support everyone has shown us through this difficult time. He is in a better place flying a helicopter raising hell somewhere right now!!!

Thanks again!

[eyedigress]

The Military Family is huge and we all fight the same fight. God Bless You and the loss of a true inspirational leader and Patriarch.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Thanks for the ping.
Here’s an interesting link:
http://www.mishalov.com/Freeman.html

[NonValueAdded]

From the biography of Capt. Freeman in the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young"

"He was first sergeant of Bravo Company, 36th Engineer Battalion and one of 14 men in his 257-man company who survived the opening stages of the fight for Pork Chop Hill. His lieutenant's bars were pinned on by General James Van Fleet and, at Freeman's request, his first assignment was as commander of Bravo Company. Freeman reconstituted the unit and led it back up Pork Chop."

Many of us got to know "Too Tall" from the "We Were Soldiers" movie but, as Paul Harvey would say, "Now you know the rest of the story."

[JillValentine]

God bless a true hero.